Hold the chicken wings!

A new study shows that women who ate fried chicken daily had a higher risk of heart disease-related death, as well as death from any cause except cancer.

The University of Iowa-conducted study was done in almost 107,000 post-menopausal women in the United States. It found that those who consumed fried chicken once or more a day had a 13% higher risk of death.

Those who ate fried chicken saw a 12% rise in risk of a heart-related death specifically. In addition, fried fish was also linked to an increased risk of death and heart-related death of 7% and 13%, respectively.

Risk of heart gisease

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Deep-frying foods takes place at high temperatures, which convert what was originally natural fat into trans fat. Trans fat elevates our levels of “bad cholesterol”, which can clog up arteries. This increases one’s risk of heart attack and stroke.

The high temperatures can also cause the production of glycation products, which previous studies have linked to degenerative diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

The study’s lead author, Wei Bao, told CNN that he expected fried fish to pose a lower risk to mortality fried chicken since fish can be helpful for cardiovascular diseases.

“If you fry fish, it may turn a good thing into a harmful thing,” Bao says.

Findings can’t be generalised globally

Bao also said that the study’s findings can be applied to American men too. This is because similar studies on the effects of fast food showed no difference in the effects across genders.

However, he noted that their study’s findings “can’t be generalised globally.”

For instance, research in Spain, he pointed out, showed no significant relationship between fried food consumption and mortality. Spanish cuisine mainly uses olive oil, which studies have shown can beneficial to the heart.

Ethnicity can also be a factor. South Asians have also been found to be at greater risk of heart disease than East Asians and non-Hispanic whites, both due to environmental factors and genetic predisposition.